View Ridge/Wedgewood

History
The neighborhoods of Wedgwood and View Ridge sit in the heart of Sand Point, which stretches along the banks of Lake Washington and down to the University District. The first P-Patch was started in Wedgwood in 1965 when the City Council allowed three acres of land to be used for a community garden. Today there are nearly 40 P-Patches around Seattle neighborhoods. The residential part of Wedgwood emerged during World War II, but the Wedgwood Rock has been a part of history for much longer. Native Americans from this area apparently used the rock as a landmark, and today it’s a great site for picnics.

Description
These small, primarily residential neighborhoods make up much of the peninsula above the Montlake Cut up to Lake City. Wedgwood sits north of Ravenna & east of Maple Leaf along 35th Ave NE’s shops and cafés. This avenue connects Wedgwood down to the University Village and Sand Point Way, where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researches weather and its effect on our coastlines.  View Ridge, located north of Laurelhurst in the middle of the Sand Point neighborhoods, has incredibly beautiful views across Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains, particularly during clear summer sunsets over the lake.

Residents
Many residents in Wedgwood and View Ridge are families and professionals with relation to the University of Washington. Wedgwood’s relatively affordable housing prices and rental rates bring quite a few young families to the area, while View Ridge’s lovely Tudors and beachfront homes attract more wealthy, established professionals and affluent retirees. Due to the fact that these neighborhoods are set further away from U of W than the University District and Ravenna, there are fewer undergraduate students in Wedgwood/View Ridge rentals and more graduate students and faculty with their families. 

Fun Stuff
North of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association is Matthews Beach, a popular stop-off for cyclists, rollerbladers and joggers along the Burke-Gilman Trail as well as a common swimming and sunbathing spot during warmer months.  Magnuson Park is also a popular swimming spot located on the lake which tends to get quite windy.  Because of this wind, you’ll see kites flying throughout the summer and hear the chimes of the intriguing Soundgarden, a wind chime sculpture in Magnuson Park from which the famous local band took its name.  Further south in Laurelhurst, you’ll find the Laurelhurst Park and community center, which thrives in the summer.

Average Rent: $$

Primary Housing:

Small Apartment Buildings

Duplexes/Multiplexes

Single-Family Homes

Commute Times:

Downtown 15-20 minutes

Eastside 25 minutes

The View Ridge and Wedgewood neighborhoods are located north of the Ravenna and Roosevelt neighborhoods and west of Lake Washington. This neighborhood is characterized by more affordable homes primarily developed between the 1940s and the 1970s.

The higher end homes in this area are primarily located along the ridge facing east to Lake Washington. Single-family houses are the primary type of rental housing that exists in this area. Rental homes can be quite affordable in these neighborhoods and offer the renter a good in-city location at a lower price than other neighborhoods closer to Downtown and with access to the Eastside.

In this area there also exist some smaller apartment properties as well as some duplex/multiplex properties for rent. These are primarily located along the main arterials. Like the rental homes in this area, apartment and duplex/multiplex rental rates are typically less expensive than locations closer to the University and Downtown.